There are many changes coming to Destiny 2 with The Witch Queen expansion, and while some may seem more substantial than others, such as the Void 3.0 update, even smaller ones can have a huge impact on how the game is played. An example is the Gambit rework detailed in the last TWAB, which is something Bungie has been very secretive about for a while before revealing all the details at once. There are no massive changes to Gambit with The Witch Queen, but those that are being made are aimed at solving a few issues with the game mode to make it more enjoyable after years of leaving it on the back-burner.
Another change that may seem small in the grand scheme of things is that of Rare Engrams, with Bungie removing blue drops from the loot pool when players reach the soft Power Level cap - which is also very easy to achieve for experienced players through the Legendary campaign mode. One of Destiny 2's most exploited features over the years since its introduction has been that of farming loot and experience while AFK in the Thrallway section of the Shattered Throne Dungeon, but that's changing soon.
Among the changes coming with Destiny 2's The Witch Queen, Bungie announced that the Shadow Thralls of the Shattered Throne Dungeon were unintentionally granting various rewards that encompass Glimmer, XP, Engrams, and more. This will be patched upon the expansion's release, with Bungie stating that the reason behind this change is to promote earning rewards by actually playing the game and completing bounties or activities, be it solo or with friends. This is also a way to ensure that Season Pass levels and seasonal artifact Power bonuses will now be more streamlined across the board.
In fact, it was not uncommon up until the launch of Season of the Lost to witness players with their Season Pass rank way over 300 in the first week or so, and the same for seasonal artifacts providing a Power bonus of over 20. Both have a big impact on how players intend to play the game, with Season Passes providing substantial rewards for the first 100 ranks and then more Bright Engrams every 5 ranks, and with the artifact's Power bonus making players stronger in some activities. This change may seem small to those who didn't exploit the Thrallway, but it's going to have rippling effects throughout The Witch Queen and beyond.
With Bungie balancing Destiny 2's campaign for The Witch Queen in a way that's harder and also more rewarding, it makes sense for the company to remove ways to obtain progression rewards by not even playing the game. As such, the Thrallway change is a welcome one for the health of the game itself, and also a way to challenge players to go out of their way to obtain more loot.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Bungie.net
